Dallas edged back into second place in the NBA Southwest Division on Tuesday with a 112-105 victory over a Los Angeles Clippers squad that face up to a month without its top scorer, Eric Gordon.
Jason Terry scored a season-high 28 points to lead Dallas while fellow reserve J.J. Barea added 25, Tyson Chandler struck for a season-high 21 points and German star Dirk Nowitzki contributed 20 points for the Mavericks.
After a six-game losing skid, the Mavericks won for the third time in four games to stand on 29-15, edging atop the New Orleans Hornets, on a nine-game win streak, to trail only overall NBA leader San Antonio in the division.
PHOTO: AFP
The Clippers seized an early 15-point lead, but the Mavericks answered with a 23-6 run in the third quarter and a run of 14 points in a row in the fourth quarter to secure the triumph.
Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 22 points and 11 assists, while Baron Davis added 21.
The Clippers were without Gordon, who will miss three to four weeks with a sprained right wrist and bone chip fracture. Gordon leads the Clippers with 24.1 points a game, an average that ranks eighth overall in the NBA.
Gordon suffered the injury last Saturday in a victory over Golden State. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Randy Foye, who scored 15 points.
“We have to get more out of everybody,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. “Other guys have to step up.”
The Clippers, who fell to 17-27, are already getting a strong effort from rookie Griffin, whose average of 22.8 points a game ranks 12th in the NBA.
LAKERS 120, JAZZ 91
In Los Angeles, the Lakers led all the way in defeating Utah, handing the Jazz their fifth straight loss overall and on the road.
Kobe Bryant scored 21 points in three quarters and Pau Gasol added 20 points for the Lakers, who won their seventh in a row at home.
Deron Williams scored 17 points for Utah, who have lost their last nine against the Lakers at Staples Center.
The Lakers had the game in hand after the first quarter, when they shot 72 percent from the floor, hit all three of their 3-pointers and went 8 of 10 on free throws while building a 17-point lead.
CELTICS 112, CAVALIERS 95
In Boston, the hosts inflicted Cleveland’s 18th consecutive defeat.
Paul Pierce scored 24 for Boston and Kendrick Perkins returned for the first time since injuring his knee in the NBA finals to score seven points and have six rebounds in 16 minutes.
It was the Cavs’ first time back in Boston since losing Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals to end the LeBron James era in Cleveland.
J.J. Hickson scored 12 points with 17 rebounds for Cleveland.
NUGGETS 120, WIZARDS 109
In Washington, Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points to lead Denver over Washington.
Nene and Al Harrington each scored 21 for the Nuggets, who began a five-game road trip with a strong performance that comes amid continued trade talk surrounding Anthony.
Anthony shot just eight-for-20, but six players scored in double figures for Denver, who put together a 17-2 run to take a 24-10 lead in the first quarter that set up the win.
BOBCATS 94, KINGS 89
In Sacramento, Stephen Jackson scored 21 points to lead Charlotte over Sacramento.
Kwame Brown had a season-high 18 rebounds for the Bobcats, who are 9-6 since Paul Silas was named interim head coach.
Brown had 13 points and his 18 rebounds were one short of his career high.
Tyreke Evans and Carl Landry each scored 19 points for Sacramento, which shot 36 percent and has dropped five of six games.
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